Association of adipokines with major adverse cardiovascular events following acute myocardial infarction: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Major adverse cardiovascular events (MACEs) remain a leading cause of poor prognosis following acute myocardial infarction (AMI). Emerging evidence suggests that adipose tissue-derived adipokines may provide additional information on cardiometabolic risk beyond conventional anthropometric measures. This systematic review and meta-analysis aimed to evaluate the association between circulating adipokines, specifically adiponectin and visfatin, and the occurrence of MACE among patients with AMI.

A systematic search of PubMed/MEDLINE, Scopus, and Cochrane Library was performed from inception to identify cohort studies reporting adiponectin or visfatin levels in adult AMI patients with and without MACE during follow-up. Pooled mean differences (MD) with 95% confidence intervals (CI) were calculated.

Five cohort studies (n = 707 AMI patients) conducted across China, Taiwan, Japan, and Poland, with follow-up durations ranging from 2 to 43 months, were included. Adiponectin levels were lower in MACE patients (MD=-2.85 [95% CI -5.42 to -0.27, p = 0.03]; I² = 94%), while visfatin levels were significantly higher in the MACE group (MD = 2.99 [95% CI 1.51 to 4.47, p < 0.0001]; I²⁼0%).

Lower adiponectin and higher visfatin levels are associated with MACE occurrences in AMI patients, whereas BMI did not demonstrate significant discriminatory value.